Staff Member

heh np but Pb should take the credit for writing it up (and I think he collaborated with someone else).

That write up made me more comfortable in claybarring the car. I eventually did buy a claybar kit and claybar'd my dad's Camry. Phew did that ever make a difference! It's silver but you can definitely see (and feel) the difference compared to just simply waxing after a wash.

Those were actually pretty well done. The two-bucket wash method was not mentioned, but other than that it seemed like a decent introduction. For more in-depth information you can go to a dedicated site like detailcity.org.

In this context, detail is used to mean an extremely thorough cleaning of the car, either inside or out. It's essentially the difference between moping a tiled floor and getting down on your hands and knees with a toothbrush to really get all that grit and grime out of the grout.

In this context, detail is used to mean an extremely thorough cleaning of the car, either inside or out. It's essentially the difference between moping a tiled floor and getting down on your hands and knees with a toothbrush to really get all that grit and grime out of the grout.
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Thanks for the explanation. It's either a new meaning or purely north American. I think it would be called "spring cleaning" here. I should have looked at the dictionary which came with my new iMac. It's "to clean (a motor vehicle) intensively and minutely". Presumably it doesn't apply if the subject is a house, shop, restaurant, etc., as "spring cleaning" does.

Thanks for the explanation. It's either a new meaning or purely north American. I think it would be called "spring cleaning" here. I should have looked at the dictionary which came with my new iMac. It's "to clean (a motor vehicle) intensively and minutely". Presumably it doesn't apply if the subject is a house, shop, restaurant, etc., as "spring cleaning" does.
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My definition: if I'm not having to borrow some q-tips out of the makeup drawer, then it's just "washing the car" as opposed to "detailing."

Staff Member

Thanks for the explanation. It's either a new meaning or purely north American. I think it would be called "spring cleaning" here. I should have looked at the dictionary which came with my new iMac. It's "to clean (a motor vehicle) intensively and minutely". Presumably it doesn't apply if the subject is a house, shop, restaurant, etc., as "spring cleaning" does.
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Yeah, I usually conjure images of cleaning the house, dusting the lamps and such when I hear 'spring cleaning'.

Not bad, a few suggestions though that I didnt see covered.
When clay baring for the first time, it is a good idea to start out with a spray bottle with a dawn detergent/water mix for the lube. This will remove any wax or oil buildup on the paint as well as remove any dirt. After the clay bar is done, a good wash with car soap and a good rinsing will give the paint a great surface for a Zaino treatment. A few coats of Zaino, and you will see a fantastic gleam coming from your car, then follow up with a good paste wax and you should be good for a year. I had an 01 F150 that was white, and I did that treatment to it the first weekend I had it, gave it 6 coats of Zaino, and I swear the finish looked like it was fresh wet paint. I didnt wax it, but a year later after the snows came and went, I took it to the car wash and washed it, the water still beaded on the surface as though it were freshly waxed.

Another note, Zaino recommended a 100% white cotton towel for polishing the car. I picked up a couple large ones from Kmart and have been using them ever since. If you have a dark finish car, the above polishing technique with Zaino will knock your socks off.

+1 on the Lexol. I have horses, and use Lexol on all the saddles, bridles and harnesses. Great stuff. I have 3 vehicles with leather seats that I use Lexol on, smells good and keeps the seats soft.

I just washed and waxed my 8 day old Prius. After spraying the tires with new Dupont Teflon tire shine, it dawned on me that this is a "enviro car" and in keeping with the enviro concept, it should be cleaned and detailed with enviro friendly products. If you think about it, several million people were probably washing, spraying and spiffing up cars at the same time. We are using all these chemicals that are basically being dumped into mother nature's mouth. So my question is: "Is anyone using nature friendly products to deatil thier cars?". I do not find any in my local stores. If so, do they work well? The following is a short list of common products that I feel are most needed:

I just washed and waxed my 8 day old Prius. After spraying the tires with new Dupont Teflon tire shine, it dawned on me that this is a "enviro car" and in keeping with the enviro concept, it should be cleaned and detailed with enviro friendly products. If you think about it, several million people were probably washing, spraying and spiffing up cars at the same time. We are using all these chemicals that are basically being dumped into mother nature's mouth. So my question is: "Is anyone using nature friendly products to deatil thier cars?". I do not find any in my local stores. If so, do they work well? The following is a short list of common products that I feel are most needed:

I want to say Thank you for thinking of the environment. Personally, so far, I've made use of the rainwater that fell on my Prius, and took out a large microfiber towel and just dried off the marks (I have a Super White Prius).
According to Grist (environmental news) taking your car to a carwash is environmentally friendlier than washing it yourself under normal conditions.
First, a carwash has waste water handling, and the waste water isn't going down the storm drains straight to the [insert nearest body of water here]. A carwash has the soap in the correct proportion to the water, and is using, probably, a low-sudsing formula. Carwashes have to adhere to local environmental regulations, as far as what types of cleaners, etc.

Now, I am interested in washing my own Prius, though I would only use biodegradable soap, and darned little of it (one of the reasons I got a White Prius, is that it looks cleaner, longer).
I don't have leather seats, as I have no interest in sitting or being surrounded by the skin of dead animals that is preserved with toxic chemicals. I am thinking seriously about seat covers for my cloth seats, which I would hope could be laundered (gently) when needed (also with biodegradable soap, which is what I use anyway).

I'm going to do a search on "claybar" as I've never heard of it, and my "gear-head" co-worker isn't here today (he carpools with me, and regularily drools over my Prius) to tell me what it is. It sounds, from the listed effects, as though it may be a way to extend a wax job, which could be eco-friendly in the long run.

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